# Beer aging; what gives



## ky toker (Jun 2, 2005)

What is the deal with aging beer? Miller says that...:r .. OK lets get serious for a second here.

I've seen this before but never paid it no never mind. The only time beer ages in my frig is if someone leaves some Miller in there & forgets to leave documentation on it's uses. I was checking out Maudite's website and they say their beer is good after being aged a couple of years. 

What gives? Is it beer that has had the yeast distilled out? Somebody have a clue on this one?

I would expect the resident prof. to chime it.


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## Mindflux (Dec 5, 2005)

Beers can age like wines. That's why after fermentation some beers sit around for a few months. It allows the flavors to mellow out and blend together. 

There's a number of reasons for aging beer, it depends on the persons tastes too. High alcohol beers (above 6%) need aging to get rid of the 'rocket fuel' like flavor and odor higher alcohol content brings to your pallet. Over time it mellows and just because a good, strong beer.


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## Mindflux (Dec 5, 2005)

p.s who's the resident professional?


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## ToddziLLa (Oct 17, 2005)

Mindflux said:


> p.s who's the resident professional?


Unfortunately, he's banned right now.

Frank (floydp) might have some more info too...he brews some good stuff.


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## ResIpsa (Mar 8, 2006)

As a homebrewer my experience and knowledge has always been the fresher the better. Only high alcohol, highly hopped ales and beer should be given time to age, but let's see what Michael Jackson, freshly back his latest "experiences" at Neverland has to say.....oh, that's a different michael http://www.beerhunter.com/askmichael-200112.html


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## Mindflux (Dec 5, 2005)

ResIpsa said:


> As a homebrewer my experience and knowledge has always been the fresher the better. Only high alcohol, highly hopped ales and beer should be given time to age, but let's see what Michael Jackson, freshly back his latest "experiences" at Neverland has to say.....oh, that's a different michael http://www.beerhunter.com/askmichael-200112.html


"Green" beer is NEVER better than a properly aged homebrew. I don't think a single homebrewer would refute that. Beer that is just 'young' doesn't taste good for the most part.


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## croatan (Mar 23, 2005)

I haven't done much homebrewing recently, but my beer always tasted much better after it had aged. And the longer, the better. Less than a month ago, I drank a bottle with at least five years of age on it and it was great.


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## ResIpsa (Mar 8, 2006)

Mindflux said:


> "Green" beer is NEVER better than a properly aged homebrew. I don't think a single homebrewer would refute that. Beer that is just 'young' doesn't taste good for the most part.


Well, I am not quite sure what you would consider "green" to be. But my OPINION is that only higher alcohol (eg but not limited to Barley wines) hold up well to aging. There are other examples but for the most part my experience has been "lighter" ales and beer should most certainly not be aged. Different strokes, blah blahh blah


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## Mindflux (Dec 5, 2005)

ResIpsa said:


> Well, I am not quite sure what you would consider "green" to be. But my OPINION is that only higher alcohol (eg but not limited to Barley wines) hold up well to aging. There are other examples but for the most part my experience has been "lighter" ales and beer should most certainly not be aged. Different strokes, blah blahh blah


Well there IS a difference between significant age times and minimal. When I brew something it usually sits for a month or more until I hook it up to the tap lines after the fermentation is done. I had a Magic Hat #9 clone that was on tap for near a year and it continually tasted better until the keg blew foam.


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## AAlmeter (Dec 31, 1999)

It is often used to smooth out the flavors and allow continued fermentation....bottle fermentation. Samichlaus comes to mind (which I guess is being produced again, Merry Christmas to one and all).


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## NCatron (Sep 7, 2005)

I'm about to discover first hand. I have a 2001 vintage Imperial Stout in my refrigerator that is biting the dust tonight, in celebration of my M.S. Defense going off well. Will update with impressions later.


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## stogie_kanobie_one (Feb 9, 2006)

ResIpsa said:


> As a homebrewer my experience and knowledge has always been the fresher the better. Only high alcohol, highly hopped ales and beer should be given time to age, but let's see what Michael Jackson, freshly back his latest "experiences" at Neverland has to say.....oh, that's a different michael http://www.beerhunter.com/askmichael-200112.html


Thats a nice link Res. Thanks... I just started getting into brewing .

Last Friday myself and some friends did a Chocoloate Porter and a Chocolate Boch. It was my first time out.


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## onlyonerm (Mar 18, 2006)

I had bought a few bottles of Thomas Hardy's Special Ale 10 years ago with the intent of aging them. I aged them for about 5 years before drinking on a New Years Eve nigth and they tasted much better then the few I had tried right off the shelf. All stored at basement temp.


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## NCatron (Sep 7, 2005)

My review of an aged stout I enjoyed tonight:

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25202

The flavors melded very well, so I think the aging helped there.


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## StudentSmoker (Apr 24, 2006)

Had no idea...always thought the "skunky" factor would take over after a while. Does aging agree more often with full bodied brews?


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## SeanGAR (Jul 9, 2004)

Homebrew is usually on yeast, having undergone an in bottle carbonation. The yeast allows the beer to age better than the typical stuff that has been sterile filtered and carbonated by pressurized CO2. As others have also pointed out, higher alcohol (bigger) beers tend to age better as well. So the combination of in bottle carbonation and high alcohol tends to allow a beer to age and develop "better" flavor with time. Sadly, beer never seems to develop age around my house no matter how much I buy.

The skunky flavor is due to light and shouldn't increase in properly bottled (i.e., brown) and stored (i.e., dark, cool place) beer.


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## germantown rob (Sep 19, 2005)

My local brew pup has an aged list of beers, mainly stouts and barly wines, some of their bottles are 6 years old. I have done flights of both and man what a differance from year to year.


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## why1504 (May 5, 2006)

It depends on the brew. miller, bud, coors, etc. who knows. But with real beer the higher the alcohol the smoother the taste becomes after aging. The comment on Barley Wines is very accurate. A green barley wine is rough, one with 4-5 years of cellar ageing is unreal. I age some Imperial stouts and porters as well. One thing about beer, it all changes with age and generally the difference is fairly dramatic. The hop flavor goes down while the alcohol will smooth out. Malt profile also will be affected. IMHO, most of your standard commercial beers won't improve with age. If you move into some of the imports (not German lagers) and Craft US beers (not IPA's) they will improve. within the beer community, all the excitement of brewing worldwide is now in the US. Craft brewers are really brewing some great beers.

I suggest you try to find a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (barley wine) 2001 and a 2005 and taste the difference.

Skunkyness comes from the introduction of O2 and light (this is why Corona taste like crap it is all skunky because of the clear bottles).


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## ky toker (Jun 2, 2005)

I think this thread is landing perfect for what I wanted.

So with the info from everyone the Maudite site is right in line with that beer. High acl% and bottle fermented. And if you haven't had any give it a go. I like the 750ml bottles myself.:al



> p.s who's the resident professional?


Why _seangar_ my follow gorilla. Though, I am happy with everyone's input. Makes for good discussion.



ResIpsa said:


> As a homebrewer my experience and knowledge has always been the fresher the better. Only high alcohol, highly hopped ales and beer should be given time to age, but let's see what Michael Jackson, freshly back his latest "experiences" at Neverland has to say.....oh, that's a different michael http://www.beerhunter.com/askmichael-200112.html


You tricked me, man. Just when I thought I'd read about pet monkey's and candyland....

Nice site, thanks.

(b). Bottle-conditioned beers. (The term "re-fermentation in the bottle", used by the Belgians, is perhaps clearer). This term indicates that the beer is unfiltered. Or only partially filtered. Or only partially centifruged. Again, the idea is that some living yeast remains. Alternatively, the beer may have been fully filtered or centrifuged, then given a very small dose of fresh yeast. The original fermentation may have been arrested at a point where there is some residual sugar left to feed this yeast. Alternatively, a small amount of sugar or wort ("unfermented beer") may have been added for this purpose.

How long will such a beer mature? No hard-and-fast rules here. Even a light-bodied beer like a bottle-conditioned Berliner Weisse or Worthington White Shield can develop complexity during three to six months' cellaring in a cool, dark, place. Bigger-bodied beers, with plenty of residual sugars and living yeast can be matured for years. This would apply to strong brown ales like Liefmans, the stronger Trappist products, and (if they are bottle-conditioned) Barley Wines and Imperial Stouts. 

After I get moved, the house has a cool-temp basement, I'll try to pick up a few bottles and let them age. I'll try with my own brew as well.

Let beer sit around and not drink, oh boy what is this world coming too.


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